The bees, The bees...

[shaper]

Last night I was laying on my back in deep sleep, when the wife's arm comes down and smacks me in the chest knocking the breath out of me. In a loud voice she said "The bees, The bees". I had just enough air to say WHAT???? She then said, How are the bees doing? Thinking she was nuts or going that way, I said they are ok. With that she rolled over and was snoring within a minute. By now I know she is talking in her sleep and she was really taking a interest in my hob.... wait a minute. I know her better than that. My wife was born in Scotland and lives it through and through. I am expanding from 5 hives to 14.. and have 10 nucs coming Saturday morning. She is concerned about the investment we had to put out. I know there are a lot of people that have many more than that, but for us , it is a large investment. What would I do without her.

[Tatume]

My brother was a bee keeper. I built hives for him. He surrounded his hives with a fence, and outside of that was an electric cattle fence. Didn't help. One morning he came out to find all of his hives in splinters and scattered over a half acre. The black bears are too much competition for him, and he gave up.

[Reddirt62]

These days that is a huge investment. Blessings going forward! 8)
Some of my girls....and a huge swarm from this year.

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[Outer Rondacker]

Loads of guys in my area have tried to keep bees. The bears get into them and no mater how hard you fence them in or build a wall around them they climb it or rip it down.

Nice healthy looking set up you have there.

[osteodoc08]

Hopefully this year will see a strengthening of the hives. My good friend (45cal) has lost almost all his hives due in part to the bee blight and governmental mosquito spraying

[Geezer in NH]

. What would I do without her.

Sleep better I imagine.

[rl69]

You win post of the day

[shooterg]

Between mites and colony collapse danged if I know how anybody makes any $$ on bees. Sure good for the garden though.
Lost last 2 hives last winter - just disappeared.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Could definitely have dogs tell you when bears are around, and stop the bears from pestering your bees; Have to be around the hives constantly for that though...

[shaper]

We live in the north west corner of Georgia, in the foothills of Lookout Mountain. Shinbone ridge is almost in our back yard. I am sure there would be some black bears around, but we have not seen or heard of one in this area.

[Reddirt62]

That is the one good thing about Oklahoma...no bears! 8)

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[brewer12345]

One of my hive sites is near the Colorado foothills and we have a electric fence around the bee yard. Seen scat around, but thus far the bears have not crashed the party. Raccoons were interested in the backyard hives, but the presence of a Plott hound during the day and tack strips at night sorted that out pretty quickly.

[dubber123]

Have had bear problems in the past. I bought a cheap double bulb motion light, and put one of those screw in sockets that let you plug stuff in into one of the sockets, run a lead cord from this to a radio in your house, tune to a scratchy/annoying station. When triggered, the one bulb lights the yard, the other wakes you up. Apply .475 Linebaugh liberally, no more bear problems.

[Hawks Feather]

I am allergic to bee stings so obviously I won't be getting a hive. But I am sort of a nosey (for lack of a better name) and wondered what a start-up hive would cost. Did a search and one showed up in CA for $195. At that I can see where there is concern about setting up bee boxes.

[shaper]

If you go to a catalog and buy everything you need you would be surprised. here are some prices.
Bee jacket and hood $69.99 there are many sizes and prices
10 frame bee hive, $ 239.99
8 frame hive $ 185.99
Bees for the hives I just paid $150.00 for a nuc. A nuc is one Queen, 5 frames of brood, eggs, food for the bees.
I built my own hives this year and now have 16 hives. but I had to purchase 10 nucs That was $1500.00
there are a lot of other items to buy. Hive tools, smokers and fuel, honey extractor don't forget the sugar to feed the bees, then there is the medicines to help keep them healthy. And lots of jars to give the honey to all of your friends, without getting paid.

[osteodoc08]

Gotta get some orange trees and catch the splits. For whatever reason, 45cals bees, always split and went tonhis orange tree in the yard.